Sean Mcvay Sounds Alarm As Rams’ Injury Crisis Reaches Historic Levels

The Rams’ injury crisis has turned into a nightmare, and they’ve seen this movie before. Only this time, coach Sean McVay believes the sequel is much worse than the original. 

Three season-ending injuries in two weeks. A revolving door to the training room. A roster that began the season with Super Bowl aspirations now looks like an ER’s waiting room.

And for McVay, the carnage has surpassed even the disastrous 2022 season, when the defending Super Bowl champions were decimated by injuries and finished 5-12, the worst record by a reigning Super Bowl champion in NFL history.

“I’ve been the coach for 10 years, and I know 2022 was a season that we had a lot of injuries, particularly at the offensive line, but this has been more than any year, including ’22,” McVay told reporters this week.

The latest casualty is cornerback Jaylen Watson, who will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery after emerging as one of the Rams’ brightest offseason acquisitions.

“He’s been such a stud for us,” McVay said. “He wanted to be able to play through it.”

Watson joins defensive tackle Poona Ford (torn triceps) and kicker Blake Grupe (torn ACL) as the third Rams player lost for the season since they played the Cardinals on Oct. 18.

But even though those injuries have more of a long-lasting impact, it’s just the tip of the iceberg for the Rams this season. 

Myles Garrett underwent knee surgery. Davante Adams suffered a ruptured hamstring. Kobie Turner tore his groin. Running back Dean Connors broke his hand. Terrance Ferguson injured his ankle, Trent McDuffie battled a groin strain, Colby Parkinson has dealt with shoulder and rib problems, and Puka Nacua has fought lingering core and calf issues.

The injuries have struck every position group, leaving McVay scrambling to keep his roster competitive.

“Guys are out at different spots that are key and critical to your identities, really in all three — on offense, on defense and on special teams,” McVay said.

Yet unlike 2022, when the season collapsed beyond repair, these Rams are still fighting.

“Let’s just take it a day at a time,” McVay said.

Speaking of one day at a time, if there was a silver lining on Wednesday, it was the news that reigning Defensive Player of the Year Garrett returned to practice and could potentially play as soon as Sunday against the Commanders.

“It’s great to be able to get him back out there. I think what we’ve said, just trying to stay in the moment, one day at a time,” McVay said of the plan for Garrett. “As far as what that snap count looks like if he is able to play, it’s really truly like, ‘Let’s just see how today goes, and then let’s see how tomorrow goes and [then] the following day.'”

The injuries are so significant and consistent that even 49ers fans are joking on social media that the Rams might have a substation problem near their practice facility instead of the Niners.

For a team that’s already exhausted its supply of healthy bodies, surviving November might be just as impressive as finishing with a winning record.

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